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Is Twitter Overrated?

This post is different from my past posts. Lately people have been asking me questions or saying things to me about Twitter, that has me thinking. Let me share some of those comments to you in list form:

-Where are all the actual people on Twitter?

-Why are all my followers porn stars, real estate agents, Social Media experts or offering me 16,000 followers ?

-I see no value in Twitter. Pitch me Social Media without Twitter.

- Can someone really get clients from Twitter?

-Twitter is a waste of time and has no value.

It has really got me thinking. I know that Twitter is not for everyone and does not work for ever business. I do tell people quite often, Twitter is not for your brand. Heck, Facebook is not for your brand, you don’t need application for the IPhone , etc, etc.

So what are your thoughts, I want to start a discussion.. Is Twitter Overrated and OverHyped?

Posted under Blog

This post was written by davepeck on February 5, 2010

22 Comments so far

Jake Jabbs February 5, 2010 6:44 pm

What do you recommend using?
davepeck February 5, 2010 7:08 pm

Oh I use Twitter. I think people new to it are just being overwhelmed with spam, bots and the such. Also they find it very frustrating trying to convert followers into clients.
prezab February 5, 2010 7:49 pm

"Can someone really get clients from Twitter?"
That's the problem - Twitter turned into an annoying marketing tool.
Still lots of good chat and SOCIAL commentary. Remember, as in
SOCIAL media?? Also the best damn news aggregator ever.
@katcalbes February 5, 2010 7:52 pm

Mainstream media has helped make it more overhyped, IMHO. So a majority of general public who do not use Twitter only hear about it when, for example, late night talk show hosts mention it or media or celebs bring it up. I use it almost everyday for both professional and personal reasons…it's great for customer service when used correctly, etc. The question isn't "Is it overhyped?", it should be "Will it ever truly be embraced by general public?" I say no. It needs better PR. LOL.
Tina Louise February 5, 2010 11:03 pm

Twitter is hard to define because it continues to grow and evolve and we each use it in a variety of ways. Its rating/value to each individual participant is relevant to the ways they use it. I don't see Twitter as a place for marketing - as soon as I am followed by someone selling something… I block them. I go to Twitter for the humour of a comedian's one-liner - a different take on a news story - to discover how others feel/think/react to any given subject and to watch a programme with countless others, in a stream of comments that reflects so many ways of looking at the same thing. To me, Twitter is high-value. It is only 'over-rated' to those who presume to want something else altogether - Twitter is what you currently use it for.
'My' personal Twitter experience is entirely defined by me and can never be rated in the same way as anybody else's. Some interesting analysis/dissection is available to look into the social implications of Twitter or your own affect on it – for instance:
http://klout.com/
http://twanalyst.com/

Namaste,
Tina Louise
@tinalouiseUK
@jim_gray February 6, 2010 2:25 am

i'm always there for you dave!
Ching Ya February 6, 2010 2:46 am

Hi Dave, thanks to Twitter I saw your link and came right in. I think Twitter provides us visibility, a platform to meet others and be heard. It may be overrated for some, but what matters is whether it fits with the networking goal one intended. Twitter is a tool, just like Facebook it has limitation while being powerful to some extents. It's the full control been given to the users, hope we can all use it for productivity & good will.

Thank you for this enlightening discussion.

@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
Lucas Shaffer February 6, 2010 5:06 am

I agree, finding value in twitter is a skill you acquire after months of dodging the spambots…eventually you find good content and cling to it. I don't expect twitter to help my gain clients but I do expect twitter to help pronounce my brand or even my social capital on my content…
hubindustries February 6, 2010 12:39 pm

I agree with prezab - it's the lame attempts to co-opt Twitter as a marketing 'tool' that'a the problem. It's a symptom of old-world marketing thinking that just sees it as another 'channel'. Personally, I find it the most compelling - and human - micro-publishing, conversational, knowledge-exchanging, news-aggregating medium I've used. That is not to say that brands and their agencies cannot find ways to use Twitter to aggregate and connect with audiences/communities of interest. It's just that a marketing perspective ain't going to get you there.
Sue Anne February 6, 2010 1:24 pm

When it comes to converting followers into potential clients, Twitter is a bad tool if it is the *only* tool you're using. Just like you did with your tweet, Twitter is a great tool to use to begin a discussion and drive traffic back to your "hub" — whether that's your blog, a static landing page, or a more comprehensive web site.

People that have been on Twitter for longer than a couple of years, complain that Twitter has become less social and they are probably right. Celebrities and brands are significant players on Twitter these days and the information they are providing is very "push" / "broadcast" and not very social. That doesn't mean that social conversations aren't still happening.
Tina Louise February 6, 2010 10:44 pm

Twitter as a tool for marketing?Perhaps this only works if the marketing is actual, factual representation of truth and not hype?

Namaste,
Tina Louise
@tinalouiseUK
Jon Lebkowsky February 7, 2010 1:10 pm

I hope you're getting the message from folks like @TinaLouise, Dave. Think of the analogy: "I think the telephone is overhyped for marketing. The marketing guys keep telling me to use it, but when I do, I get put on something called a 'do not call list.' Is the telephone overrated?"

That doesn't mean a company can't use Twitter effectively for authentic communication. All companies have telephones, but they don't necessarily do telemarketing. Smart companies know that telemarketing is loathsome. Smart companies know that Twitter works well for building and sustaining relationships, not "selling."
GranniAnnie February 7, 2010 7:24 pm

I really enjoy twitter for the social connection. I get annoyed at those who follow me offering their products, or services, or fein friendship when all they really want to do is sell you something. I don't like those who only use bot-quotes, as if they're trying to give the impression that they have attained wisdom and enlightenment. Real people is what twitter is all about, and those who forget that behind those avatars lurks a potential friend, or someone with knowledge and experience in a vast number of topics that keeps it interesting and fun, are missing the point.
Kriselle Laran February 7, 2010 11:30 pm

My thoughts seem to be pretty in line with the thoughts already expressed here. Whether Twitter works for a business really depends on what the desired outcome is for that business. If I had gone to Twitter thinking that I could use it to find all sorts of new clients and fully monetize my presence, I would be feeling pretty negative about my experience.

For me, Twitter has been more about connecting with other "subject matter experts" and expanding my understanding of design, development and marketing. I never would have found people like you, from whom I have gathered an incredible amount of knowledge.
davepeck February 8, 2010 6:50 pm

Good point..it is a skill
davepeck February 8, 2010 6:50 pm

amen its the best news aggregator ever!!!
davepeck February 8, 2010 6:51 pm

Thanks Jim!
davepeck February 8, 2010 6:51 pm

Thanks for taking part
Eric Whitney February 24, 2010 9:31 pm

twitter is terrific. i have very few followers and follow even fewer. even so, the power of twitter's search function makes it an increasingly significant driver of traffic to my -admittedly very niche - website. I tweet a few times a day on trending topics that are related to my area of expertise. when someone searches for the topic I'm tweeting on, my tweets come up with links to my blog. most visitors come to my blog for entertainment, but a small fraction convert to clients - my goal is one a month. i've only been at twitter for four weeks. based on the two active leads twitter put in the funnel, the sales cycle is feeling like 6 weeks. and it's free.
Minter Dial March 2, 2010 8:34 am

I agree… If you are a company/business, better to give first and see who wants to give back!

Part of the challenge for us is to be able to learn how to sift through the clutter and get to the good stuff… That takes a concerted effort, despite the improved search mechanics. As search vehicles for Twitter and other future micro-blogging sites become more "intelligent", we may all gain.
Minter March 2, 2010 8:37 am

I feel that Twitter is a great Learning Tool for marketers…albeit at our expenses as twitter readers. Twitter will sort out the wheat from the chaff and help tomorrow's marketing teams understand that, no matter the media, content is king — surprise the customer with beautiful thoughts, relevant advice, etc. Those that don't get that notion could/should get quickly booted out as customers can vote with unfollowing or, better yet, blocking…
ralph cindrich March 6, 2010 9:13 pm

Twitter is great for my business which sports. I am a sports attorney/agent now getting into teaching sports law and other related areas-expert witness, mediator. It is the ideal way to keep current. But I do have long term concern about it and the internet. Happy to get into that part later.